HI Folks,

I've been trying to do some research on how to increase my voice range. I've come across articles about head voice vs chest. I think I understand it in theory and I'm trying to do some exercises for it but it still isn't easily mastered.

So I'd like to ask, have some of you successfully increased your higher voice range and if so what techniques did you use.

I usually sing alto, but quite often there are songs that we sing in unison or where sopranos sing a descant and the altos as asked to carry the melody which can sometimes be higher notes. I find myself getting very tired and my throat literally closing up on me when I have to sing in a higher range, it is frustrating because I cant seem to make it through to the end of the piece without really straining my voice.


Thanks!

Rose

There are a few things you can do:

Think UFO

Up
Forward
over

Think Rainbow-your note is at the other end of the rainbow, so go up, then to the note

DO NOT open your mouth wide-it will detract from vocal qualitiy

Have your upper jaw more forward than your lower jaw-it will help to get your head voice up and running

Hope that helps!

Think of singing falsetto. Us guys don't normally go up into the treble staff, but when we do, we sing falsetto. This applies to altos as well. Just relax everything and let your voice naturally flow from your true range into your falsetto range. Like mr. apple mac said, think up and over.

i disagree with the dont open your mouth comment...its misleading.
i think what they meant was dont lose the form of your vowels by losing the roundness in your mouth
you really want to drop your jaw, but keep the sounds rounded
ah should be auh
la should be lauh
saw should be sauh
the mouth does need to be fairly open to make this possible with a rich sound
for oh...start saying the letter o the part of the letter you really want when you sing is the very beginning before you get to the oooo
e's should be as dark and round as possible
frist think smiling and say e...its squealy and ugly right? round out your entire mouth and bring your lips in at the corners ...the correct vowel sounds make those high notes sound sooo much more pleasant
also make sure you are breathinig deeply from the diaphragm and supporting the notes rather than letting them falter...you may be uncomfortable singing high notes, but push them out.

<Added>

as for actually increasing range...ive noticed that when i push my range higher my lower notes become less strong and when i push lower, the higher notes become less strong...i think that is the nature of the beast. im pretty sure the range you come with is the range you have...but wouldn't it be wonderful if i was wrong haha.

<Added>

oh and this is for more classical style choral music...duh i forgot to even ask what style you are singing in

Do you mean that you want to increase the range you have in your head voice, or the bridge between your chest and head voice?

Okay, well actually, my advise relates to both problems:

*As you get higher, try to think low...think about the note you are going to sing, and try to stay controlled. If you start to think "ahh it's the high note next!", then this will cause you to strain your voice and the result will be all squeaky and your voice may break. Thinking lower (the same applies to thinking high as you go low) will help you keep your voice controlled, and will help smooth out the transition between your two registers.

* Focus on your vowels and pronounication. You'll notice that singing vowel sounds like 'ee' will be easiest. When you sing higher, keep your mouth as rounded as possible, and don't thrust your jaw forwards as this will strain your voice and make it harder for the muscles in your larynx to work and focus properly.

* Take deep breaths and try to breath down to your 'stomach' - to the bottom of your lungs, instead of the top. Before you sing try breathing exercises - breath in slowly and deeply for 4 beats, then hold for 4, then release for 8/12/16 etc (increaing the time on each repetition), and produce a 'shhhh' sound on the way out. Try to keep this sound steady - this will mean you are breathing steadily. Also, when doing this, try to keep your shoulders still (don't move them up or push them down as you breath).

* Stand strongly - with your feet shoulder width apart, your arms by your side, and you head straight ahead. This position will give you a more steady position, and will make it easier for you to breath, and therefore produce a much clearer and controlled sound!!

* Practise scales daily and/or before and after you sing. This will stop you from damaging your voice, and as long as you don't strain to reach the notes, you will gradually (very gradually) increase your vocal range and/or your overall vocal quality.

I'm not a singing teacher, nor do I have singing qualifications, but I have learnt this from my singing and music teachers, and it's been a huge benefit for me!!

All of this may seem a bit hard to remember at first, but soon with practise it'll all come automatically - honest!!

Good luck,

Laura
XxX

You should also try singing on nasal: Relax yourself and stand firmly, open your mouth just like you'd yawn(open inside by holding your throat down and thiking up to the upper part of your nose and keep your jaws relaxed but enough open) take a breath in your abdominal, while breathing in try leading the air into the sides of your abdominal. During the breath you may also somehow feel as some canals in upper part of your nose get open. Keep the same posture and start singing on nasal, for example straight tone about 3 beats, then relax your throat and start again the whole breathing procedure and go lower. You can also try this that way: breath-n(1.5sec)-relax(1.5sec)-n-relax-n(2-3sec), where n is nasal. after going as low as you can without doing any damage, start again from the middle and go same way up. You should feel whirr in the sides of your upper nose, that means you have opened them. When doing this, always check that you breath into abdominal, keep throat down and sing with your upper nose, keep jaws relaxed but open.
Next sing quint: n(G)glide down(C)glide up(G) or n(G)glide(C)relax n(C)glide(G), use the same posture with both pitches, but while going up again, do it with air. Then use this technique with vocals like o,a,e(straight latin e). Vocals like i and u require some changes...
All this has helped me a lot. But this is for classical singing ofcourse.